Innocent
by vanillalovescnjonghyun
Summary: A very light high school romance. She is INO-cent.
1. The Sneezer

_Innocent_

_SasuIno_

* * *

_Who ever says high school is easy?Well, certainly not me. Most of the time high school means hell, but sometimes it can be paradise as well._

* * *

Reading class with Kakashi-sensei ended in a fiasco, so he dismissed them early. Sakura was picking up a fight with an upperclassman for comparing her forehead to a saucepan, and Ino didn't want to be involved. She needed to escape for a breath of fresh air.

She ran to the rooftop, and when she opened the door, she was greeted by a cool, cool breeze that caressed her then glowing cheeks. She walked up to the steel bars that barracked the edge of the rooftop and rested both hands upon the ledge, enjoying the pleasant air.

_What a peaceful place, _thought she, _just me, the breeze, the sound of the rustling leaves and someone sneezing – _

Wait, did she just say 'someone sneezing'? Good Lord! She was sure she didn't sneeze, so why in the world will she hear such a thing? And for all she knew she was there alone –

_Stop thinking!_

Chills ran down her spine as she forced her body to turn around. She closed her eyes.

_Oh, please, no ghosts!_

She opened her eyes. No ghosts.

She heaved a sigh of relief. Must be her over-developed imagination.

It's just that someone sneezed again. And that someone was sitting on the platform on the rooftop.

It was impolite but she stared. He must have been the same age as she was. His hair and eyes were so dark; _Like the night_, she thought, _when it's pitch black you can barely see anything. _He was slender-physiqued, quite tall according to her approximation, and very, very handsome.

"Hey, how long have you been here?" she called.

"Before you." The movement of his thin, pinkish lips was subtle, and she couldn't believe she was drawn to it at once.

She walked up the stairs that led to the platform. "You're a new student?"

He gave a slight nod, or was he just shifting his head? She had no idea, but she sat down beside him anyway. He brought one knee close to his chest and left the other dangling on the platform.

_He looks so cool,_ she told herself. She brought a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to him. "You were sneezing. Take it."

And he did, quite reluctantly. Perhaps he deemed it unhygienic, but he sneezed again, and came to a conclusion that he had better make use of it.

"This is quite a pretty place, isn't it?" she muttered softly he barely understood. "You see almost everything from up here, and the wind is wonderful."

He had no idea who this blonde girl was, babbling away by his side. Minutes ago his mind was lost in its labyrinth of thoughts, and then she came, offering a kerchief and some company, and yet he didn't seem the least agitated. Well, to an extent, yes, but he felt unusually at peace.

"By the way, my name is Ino."

She was looking at him with smiling blue eyes, holding out her hand, waiting for him to react. He took it, then, and shook it briefly, and then withdrew.

"You don't mind telling me your name, do you?"

There was something in those eyes, aside from the fact that they were the same color as the sky. He hadn't seen those eyes before, but he felt quite sure they do not know how to lie.

_So his name is Sasuke,_ thought she. He was so absolutely handsome, and there was something in his lips that made her think of the roses in her mother's flower shop. Perhaps because the roses smell so sweet, and she had the intuition that that was how his lips would taste if –

She caught herself at once, and put her hands over her mouth, as if her thoughts were blaring through a loud speaker and she was afraid Sasuke might hear. She felt her cheeks grow warm, and by the way she looked in her reflection in his onyx eyes, she must be blushing.

"Sorry, the wind's so crazy up here," she bluffed, forcing a laugh. _What an awful excuse,_ she thought. But he didn't really have to affirm in words, because he sneezed again.

She stood up. "Maybe we should go down now. You'll get sick." He held out a hand to him.

He slapped it lightly with his own hand, a gesture which said he would rather stand up on his own. He covered his nose with her hanky and sneezed twice in a row. She bit back a smile.

"Don't laugh."

She pointed at her hanky.

"Wash that before you return it to me."

* * *

Ino sneezed all the way to school the next day. She felt drowsy, when she shouldn't, because they had a test with Kurenai-sensei first thing in the morning. Sakura looked at her as if she had chickenpox. How really pitiful, she must've thought.

"Where the hell did you get the flu?"

Ino wiped her nose with a paper napkin. She held a box of Cleenex on one hand.

"From a friend." Her voice sounded horrible. She sneezed again.

Sakura wanted to ask what kind of friend would give you the flu. "Did you drink lots of water?"

"Yeah, a whole pond of it. It's no use."

"Why don't you try orange or lemon juice?"

"I already did. Which reminds me, I really need to pee."

* * *

She was still sneezing when she reached the rooftop. Sasuke was aready there, holding her (newly-washed, she hoped) handkerchief. He handed it to her.

"I see you're not sneezing anymore," she remarked.

Oh, goody, you passed me the virus."

* * *


	2. Flowers and Admiration

Innocent

_Innocent_

_SasuIno_

* * *

"What's that?" he asked.

"Bento boxes," she replied. "My mom makes great lunches. I asked her to make an extra luch today."

"What's the occasion?" he asked, sitting down on the platform. They were at the rooftop again. It seemed, they had found there their sanctuary.

"Nothing, but it's for you," she replied, taking her place beside him. She laid out a big handkerchief and placed the bento boxes on it. She picked up a pair of chopsticks. "Well, dig in!"

* * *

"Your mother makes great _onigiri_."

Ino beamed with pride. "Of course she does. She makes lunch for us when she's not busy in the flower shop. We own one, you see." She put the empty lunch boxes one over the other and wrapped them in the kerchief. "So tell me, does your mother cook for you, too?"

Sasuke fiddled with his chopsticks. "She used to."

"Used to?" Ino repeated. "Why is that?"

He looked down. "She passed away a long time ago."

"Oh." Ino apologized. She looked down, too.

"If you want, we can bring her flowers from the shop…"

* * *

It was a new day. For starters, Ino offered to show Sasuke around the school.

"You did say, you were new here, right?"

Ino handed him a notebook. She wore a big grin, as if she liked the fact she knew something he didn't.

"What is this?"

It read:

_Lesson One:_

_Learn about the place. Konoha Middle School._

Sasuke looked at her. _She wasn't taking it too seriously, was she?_

"The first thing a transferee should do is learn about the different places in his new school. You've already been to the rooftop, now you need to see the gym, the music room, the theater stadium, the main hall and the other rooms."

She grabbed him by the hand.

"We're going to do this really fast, so don't lose that notebook!"

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this," Sasuke muttered. They were inside the cafeteria, he was panting, and she was clutching at her chest. They toured the school in five minutes. When she saw the look in his face, she laughed.

"Alright, time for Lesson Two!"

Sasuke turned to the notebook, which, amazingly he did not lose on the most grueling five minutes of his life. He read:

"_Lesson Two: Learn about the students, who to befriend, who not to get on the bad side of._

_Hyuuga Neji. Upperclassman. Top student. Very snobbish. Beware. "_

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Beware?"

Ino nodded. She pointed at a pale-faced, long-hair student at the other end of the cafeteria. He had the most startling eyes: they were actually white.

"He has the biggest school-based fan club of his own. _Beware_."

He read on.

* * *

He'd had the most rapid and exhausting five minutes of his life, now he's had the most excruciating half hour of his fifteen young years. He read the names and profiles from the notebook, while she pointed out faces and told long biographies. He couldn't have been happier when he had read all the names on Ino's notebook.

He shouldn't go through with this. He really wanted to tell her something.

* * *

They stood before the school bulletin board, where the names of the top students were written. Ino looked at them longingly.

"You know, I told myself, one day I'll see my name finally among those written in here. I'm not really a good student, except for Asuma-sensei's subject, but that is because I get along with him and my friends Shikamaru and Chouji help me. But, I told myself, one day I'll do really good, and I'll finally be a top student."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He was, in whole honestly, uncomfortable. He almost wanted to stop her.

"There's this one person, I admire him very much. He must have been my same age, but he is already a top student. I hear he is really, really smart, he gets good grades even if he doesn't study much. I hope I could meet him in person. I'm not sure what his name is, though…"

She scoured over the list. "Let's see… here… I think I found it. Class 2 – A. His name is…

Uchiha… Sasuke.

Oh ...my god it's you."

_Oh, well_, thought he, _busted. _He didn't mean to lie to her about being a transfer student. Actually when she asked, he didn't say anything, and perhaps she hastily assumed things and he rode along with it. Or, he didn't bother correct it.

He placed a hand on his head. "I didn't mean to… _hide _it."

* * *

Ino couldn't believe she just confessed admiration to him. She didn't mean to; what she meant is, she didn't know _it _was _him_, and it was half his fault he didn't say it (and it was half hers because she didn't clear things). _What a twist of fate._

She shifted her foot uncomfortably on the floor. "I… am totally in shame right now…"

She could see he was not very at ease with the situation, either. Before he could give any response, she had run away.

* * *

She wasn't watching the shop that weekend. Her father had bought her favorite special strawberry cake on his way home, and it was a chance she couldn't miss. She was holding the pastry knife in her hand enthusiastically and was to cut a slice when her mother came in and called her attention.

"Ino, dear, there's a young man at the shop looking for you."

Ino almost dropped the knife. _Almost._

"Who did he say he was?"

Her mother looked thoughtful. "Sasuke? Yes, I think it he said it was Sasuke."

Sasuke was looking at some fresh irises when Ino came in. He looked up when she greeted.

"You said we'll bring my mother flowers."

* * *

She was surprised to see more than one tombstone with the name Uchiha. He didn't tell her his whole family had died. There was a lot he didn't tell her.

He knelt before the tombstones as he laid down the flowers, a combination of irises, daffodils and sunflowers. Ino laid down a bouquet of white roses herself, then stepped back, letting Sasuke pay his respects quietly on his own.

She tried to quiet down her own thoughts, because questions like, '_What happened?' _and '_Does he look like his mother or his father?' _kept popping up. She offered a little prayer of her own, and waited for Sasuke to end his visit.

He did finally stand up, and when he turned to her, he said, "Let's go out sometime."

* * *


	3. Dates and Disaster

Innocent

_Innocent_

_SasuIno_

* * *

Ino wrote down her 'Five Rules in Dating Sasuke'. It was a splendid masterpiece. She slept that night, very much pleased with herself.

Her alarm clock sounded at about six in the morning. She slammed it off on her bedside table, stirred a little, before finally getting up.

_Rule no 1. : Wake up early. Make necessary preparations. Eat an ample amount of breakfast so you don't faint before him._

Ino went to the bathroom to wash her face. _Gotta be ready, _she thought. She went down expecting breakfast, but her parents weren't up yet, so she made her own.

* * *

_Rule no. 2: Dress appropriately. Not too dressy, not too rundown. Just right to impress him and not make him cancel the date and run away._

It was eight o'clock, and she had just bathed. The date wasn't until later that morning, 10 AM to be more exact, but she needed to choose the right outfit. She opened her closet. She didn't know she had that much clothing. When did they get there anyway?

One and a half hour later, Ino was in front of her dresser, making the final preparations, which meant putting her long blonde hair up in a high ponytail, like she always does. She checked her clock, went down to say goodbye to her mother and father, and grabbed a cap. Just in case the sun became too hot. All set.

* * *

_Rule no. 3: Be prompt. Never be late for a first date. Especially with Sasuke._

They were to meet at the bus station near outside the village. It was five minutes before ten, and Sasuke wasn't there yet. She decided to hide behind a _takuyaki _cart and waited for him to arrive before she revealed herself. _Can't appear to be too eager by arriving before my date._

A few minutes later, Sasuke did arrive, wearing a faded blue vest shirt and beige pants. _Such simple garments, _she thought, _but he looks amazing. _He hid his dark hair under a beige cap.

Ino checked her watch. It was almost ten, and so she decided to show herself.

"Sasuke!" she called. "Did you wait long?"

_Ha, ha. What an idiot. _I _was the one who waited!_

He shook his head. He looked her over quickly: light orange cap, shirt of the same color, loose knee-length khaki shorts. He didn't know what to think. Childish? Maybe, but she got away with it.

Ino was staring at him, looking absorbed in her thoughts. Then, she spoke.

"I think, this will suit you better." She removed her cap, grabbed his, and put her orange cap on his head. She tugged at it slightly, so it fit perfectly, and then she wore his own.

"There," she said, grinning and giving him a 'thumbs up', "better."

* * *

_Rule no. 4: Disguise. You mustn't be seen together._

Before they parted on the phone earlier, finalizing the date, she had told him to bring a cap.

"Why?" he asked.

"We shouldn't be seen together," replied she. "It will hurt your reputation to be seen with me. You know, _top student _with the _worst student on Shizune-sensei's Biology class._"

Sasuke didn't seem to mind. He was actually pleased Ino revered him this much as to worry for his image. And so he complied.

* * *

_Rule no. 5: Be yourself. Take him to places you like; give him a piece of yourself. Yeah, that would work. _

_I hope._

"Where are we going?" he said.

"There's a newly opened theme park downtown. I want to check it out."

They started walking. He had his hands in his pockets; she was swinging hers in mid air. They looked like the perfect middle school couple – only, they weren't.

_Yet._

"Do you like theme parks?" she asked. She inched a little closer so she could see his face.

"No."

She grinned. "Oh, goody. I like theme parks."

* * *

It was a good idea to have the caps. The park was filled with children, some whom Ino knew and whom attended _Konoha Academy, _an extension of which is _Konoha Middle School. _When Konohamaru and his friends passed her, she pulled at her cap to cover her face.

"It was your idea," Sasuke said, seeing her fleeing from the kids she knew.

"I know. I lied. I don't like theme parks."

She grabbed his hand.

* * *

Lunch time. They wanted to eat at the Ichiraku's, because it had the best ramen in town, but chose not to, because of the many friends they knew who went there. Like Uzumaki Naruto, for instance, who was there almost every day of life.

Which meant he was there today as well.

And so fleeing from the eyes of the blonde boy, they devised a plan: Sasuke would stand a little away from the ramen stand, while Ino would go inside to order their food. _Mission successful. _Naruto didn't even look up from his bowl.

They settled in one of those benches under cute beach umbrellas lined up in a corner of the street. The ramen was still hot, and they dug in. A little different from eating _onigiri _at the school rooftop, but it worked.

They were enjoying themselves and the best-seller ramen, talking and laughing discreetly under their breaths, until Ino spotted a shocking spectacle.

"Kami-sama!" she exclaimed. "Is that Shikamaru and Sakura I walking towards us?"

Sasuke put down his chopsticks and turned his head. Indeed, it was the boy with the pineapple hairstyle and Ino's pink-haired best friend who were approaching.

"Good Lord! What are they doing together?" she blurted out. She seemed really confused.

Sasuke turned his head back at her. "Should we --?"

Ino shook her head. "I don't think they'll come any nearer."

They watched them make their way across the street… to them. Shikamaru and Sakura walked and walked, until they were at the table behind them. Ino's eyes widened in shock.

"Alright, I've changed my mind. Run!"

* * *

It was one in the afternoon, and Ino was still quite vexed that her best friend and her childhood buddy made her run and ruin a romantic lunch. _Alright, maybe not _so _romantic._

They passed by a gaming center. The machine with stuffed toys inside it looked pretty enticing. Ino tugged at Sasuke's sleeve.

"Do you think you can get one?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and eyed the machine. "Are you serious?"

She gave him a dime. "Yeah. Go get one." She shooed him over to the machine.

"I'm not good at these things," he protested through gritted teeth.

* * *

A vein popped on Ino's forehead. "Just why did you have to pick the darn _pig!_"

Sasuke massaged his temples. Ino had told her she hated all things related to pigs because Sakura calls her one. Now she was turning beet red, like the stuffed animal she held like broken glass in her hands.

"I didn't do it on purpose," said he. "You must be destined to meet."

Ino turned a darker shade of red. Sasuke seemed to be enjoying her reaction, and prodded on a little more.

"You're turning the same color as _Pig-chan _now."

"Why you - !" She gave him a warm smile. "You enjoy teasing me, don't you?"

"I guess," he confessed. He placed both hands back inside his pockets. "Let's go."

Ino tucked _Pig-chan_ under one arm and entwined the other with Sasuke's arm.

"I think I'd like to go back to that theme park. The kids went home already, I hope."

* * *

The sun was slowly setting over the west. It was five in the afternoon. They were strolling, arms linked, across the park. _Soon, _thought she, _it would be time to part. _

He didn't seem to mind that the girl he had met at the school rooftop, who had offered him a handkerchief, brought him _onigiri_, and who brought his family's grave some flowers, was arm in arm with him right now, and was asking him to tell her stories of his childhood. He had not been good company at all, for he told only hints, not whole stories, and he spoke little, unless he wanted to tease her, but she seemed to be enjoying.

She liked him, he surmised, but she didn't want anybody to see them going out, because, as she said, it would hurt his reputation. Was that the truth? But, he remembered, those cerulean eyes do not lie.

He seemed to be at peace in her presence, she told herself, but she didn't know if he did like her at all. After accidentally confessing her admiration recently, she was sure he knew how she felt, yet he hadn't shown any real signs about his own insights. He spoke little, and didn't seem like he wanted to open up, and she was afraid that if she pushed matters, he would leave.

He shot the first question. "If I asked you to, would you go out with me again?"

_Perhaps it's his way of asking me out again? _She said she would love to.

"Does this mean we're a couple now?" It was her turn to ask. She had been afraid to ask that. What if he thought it was too fast?

He was silent. She withdrew her hands from his arm.

"It's alright," she said with a nervous laugh. "I just had to ask that."

She asks questions she wants to ask, she says whatever's on her mind. She wasn't pretentious, she took risks with her feelings. That was something he'd not known before.

"I think we need to get home," she concluded. He still wasn't saying anything. _A word would do._

"Okay."

* * *

Ino threw herself on her bed. Whatever happened to her afternoon? That should've been the most romantic moment of her life. Yet it wasn't.

The sound of something hitting the floor caught her attention and disturbed her thoughts. She rolled over to her side and scanned the floor.

Sasuke's cap. So she forgot to return it. Maybe she would give it back to him on Monday.

* * *


End file.
